Stuart Smith: Learning from Henry VIII

It is often said that those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them.

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Posted Dec. 30, 2013 @ 8:51 am

It is often said that those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them.

In the mid-1500s. King Henry VIII possessed a great desire to enhance his legacy. The accepted method to accomplish this was to engage in " the sport of kings" -- nationalist aggression.

To this end, Henry initiated a number of military ventures that not only failed to embellish his historical image but also undermined the British economy. To address the economic challenges resulting from his military ventures. Henry adopted economic policies of unprecedented taxation and a debasement of the currency. Some historians believe that the king was fortunate to avoid extreme social unrest resulting from the suffering these policies imposed.

Does any of this sound familiar? Over the past 40 years, the United States has engaged in military ventures without paying entirely for them. We have failed to make enough critical public investments in education. We have failed to control the powerful financial interests that appear to dominate our economy and politics.

This has resulted in a series of economic booms and busts that have left most poorer and certainly less secure. We are not doomed to repeat our mistakes either as individuals or as nation states.